The Stuff Of Legends
by SquirrelWho
Summary: After finding Gallifreyan writing on a Home Box in a museum the Doctor reunites with Rose, but is that a double heartbeat he hears? She knows far more than she should and when she admits to tampering with his timeline he begins to wonder who was behind his timeline altering in the first place. Will the universe allow them to be happy or is something dark waiting around the corner?
1. Jack's Surprise

Trying something different with this one...different for me. Rose is part TARDIS and part...you'll have to read to find out. It's another Doctor/Rose with some twists thrown in. Some of the episodes go quite differently because there's no River, sorry River fans, but she's not in this and you have to read to find out why/how. :)

It features...Eleven, Rose, Amy, Rory, Jack and a blast from the past and I mean way past for the major villain. Might have some other past faces showing up too.

* * *

Jack stood within the perception filter a moment gazing out at the dark street. It was late, past midnight and, as usual, he was the last to leave Torchwood, but then there was paperwork and he had to run a final check, walking the halls, making sure everything was as it should be.

Before his mind could being to wonder, which it usually did at night, he stepped out onto the sidewalk and that's when two things happened at the same time. Someone appeared in front of him, followed by the electrical zapping and hint of ozone that told him they used a vortex manipulator and his eyes connected with a deep hazel pair he never thought he'd see again.

"Jack," she exclaimed, grinning at him. His own stunned face slid into a smile. "I found you."

"Rosie?" he asked.

Instead of answering she turned around gazing down the street, then at the sky, then behind him. "Where are we?" she asked and then answered before he could reply. "Cardiff, yeah? Oh, it's great, brilliant, haven't been here in ooh eighty-two years, no eighty-seven," she turned back giving him that excited, running for their lives grin that she often sported when they were, well, running for their lives.

Then she launched herself into his arms…almost literally. He caught her and pulled her into a hug, holding her just a bit longer than he knew the Doctor would like, but the Time Lord wasn't there.

"Eighty-seven years?" he asked, after he pulled back, sure he must have heard her wrong.

"Yeah," she grinned wider, leaning a hand on his shoulder, "Forgot about that stop over on Raxacoraca…Raxicorican…"

"Raxacoricofallapatorius?" he offered.

She beamed at him.

"That's the chap." Then she gazed up at the sky. "No, zeppelins. I can actually see the stars," she glanced back at him, "haven't taken the time to appreciate it what with all the running and hunting down that evil sod and then there was the dying and…Oh!" She beamed. "I am so glad to see you, Jack! You have no idea."

She was acting strange, he'd never seen her like this, maybe she was drunk or drugged or she'd stepped through or eaten some strange alien plant or food and now she was suffering the effects.

"Are you all right?"

"All right?" she asked, as if that was the most absurd question she'd ever heard. "I'm fantastic! Brilliant! Excellent!" She whirled around.

"Look…um…why don't you come inside with me? We could stop at the med bay and get you checked out."

She stopped and rolled her eyes in an over-exaggerated sort of way.

"Jack, I just said I was good, yeah? Why would I need the med bay?"

"Um…okay, then we could just sit and talk."

"Talk?" Another eye roll. "Talking's boring. I know! Let's skydive."

"Sorry?"

"Yeah, off Big Ben. Oh! That sounds like fun, doesn't it? Come on, say it does, you know you want to," she coaxed, leaning her arm on his shoulder and grinning at him in a…wait…was she…flirting with him? Not that he minded, but this was definitely not a very Rosie thing to do.

"That's it missy," he said, grabbing hold of her waist and moving to lift her off the ground, intent on taking her back into the Hub to find out what was affecting her because there had to be something, but she easily broke his hold and danced away from him.

"You are sooo not my best friend, Jack Harkness," she chastised and then grinned. "Ah, I can't stay made at you." Then she was behind him pinching his cheek. "You are sooo cute, look at those cheeks."

"Did you, maybe, walk though a field of strange alien flowers?"

"No, oh, but that sound like fun. Could we do that?" Then she stopped, eyes going wide. "No. Wait. How about surfing?"

"Surfing?"

"Yeah, we could go surfing with three hundred foot waves." She eyed him, excitement lighting up her deep hazel eyes. "How about it?"

"That sounds a bit dangerous."

"Pfff," she dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Since when have you been afraid of danger?"

"Okay, about those alien flowers."

"No, no fields of alien flowers, no woods, no pollen." She drew up closer to him and gave him a weird look, almost as if she was looking at something he couldn't see. "You know, he's right."

"Right? Who's right?"

Another eye roll.

"The Doctor, who else? Come on Jack, keep up."

"Right about what?"

"You, you're, well, you're wrong. My fault, I know, but still." She gave a bit of a shiver. "Yeah, definitely wrong."

"Well, thanks."

"Sorry," she said, leaning her cheek on his shoulder and giving him an apologetic look that then turned…why did she keep doing that?

Rosie flirting with him was definitely strange. Not necessarily a bad strange, but that coupled with her behavior worried him.

"Okay, back to the strange things. Food? Eat any strange food? Alien maybe?"

"Oh!" Her eyes grew wide. "Food. Oh, my God! Can we eat? I can eat! I can definitely eat!"

She grabbed his hand in the next moment and began sprinting down the street. Had she always been able to run this fast? It took him a few attempts, but Jack finally managed to pull her to a halt.

"Rosie, hold on," he said.

She turned an annoyed gaze on him.

"What?" she asked.

"It's after midnight and since I have a vortex manipulator I was thinking that we could just go back to my place and I could bring you some food."

"Oh, Jack," she said in a very flirty, very not Rosie sort of way. "Back to your place?"

She raised her brow.

"No, I didn't mean…that's not…"

She burst out laughing.

"I'm only teasing, yeah? You don't have to get so…scared."

"That's not funny! And I wasn't scared," she quirked her brow. "Okay, maybe a little, but this isn't like you."

She shrugged.

"Maybe not the old me, but this is the…" she paused. "New, new, new, new, new me. The old me was like, three me's ago…or was that four?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Food first then details," she insisted, looping her arm through his and giving him a…

"That's it, missy," he typed in the coordinates for his flat. "You're grounded."

They popped off the dark street and appeared in his flat.

"Promise?" she teased and he quickly disentangled himself from her arm to turn the light on.

"Okay," he said, "food. What do you want?"

She paused, thinking.

"I don't know, um…how about…pizza? Haven't had that for a while, at least I don't think I have."

"Okay, pizza," he said, typing in coordinates and vanishing with a zapping sound.

Rose only had a moment to gaze around his flat. Jack's flat. She'd never been in Jack's flat. It was a mess of paperwork and tech he'd brought back from Torchwood. Then he was back, zapping in with the sound of the vortex manipulator. He held a cardboard box that she knew contained the pizza. Cheese and pepperoni. She could smell it and smiled.

She followed him into the kitchen, but as soon as he sat the box on the table and turned to retrieve two plates she opened it and grabbed a slice. Oh. It smelled wonderful. She took a bite and nearly gagged.

Jack spun around at the sound she made.

"What-"

And in the next moment she grabbed his blaster from the holster at his waist and shot the pizza.

"Rosie, what the hell?" he yelled, grabbing his blaster back.

She eyed him and shivered.

"Pizza's evil Jack," she eyed what was left of the pizza, "bad, bad pizza!"

"You just shot a hole in my table!"

"Yeah, well, it's lucky I only shot it once." She turned to him then, giving him her best smile. "Actually, I think I want pie. Apple pie. Apple pie sounds brilliant."

"Rosie, I'm not going to-"

"Please?" she begged, laying her head on his shoulder and batting her eyes. "Come on, Jack, please?"

He sighed.

"Fine."

She stood up with a squeal…wait…did she just squeal? He shook his head, typing in the coordinates and was gone a moment later.

She picked up the evil pizza, or what remained of it and dumped it in the garbage with a revolted shiver. Then Jack appeared with another box in hand. He sat it on the table.

"Now," he said, eyeing her, "you get the plates while I cut the pie."

She sighed.

"Fine."

She walked over to the cupboard and pulled out two plates, then grabbed two forks from the third drawer she opened. He dished them each a piece and sat down to eat his.

Rose took a bite and in the next moment she spit it out and then dropped her plate on the table.

"That's just…" she stood up and eyed him, "Are you trying to kill me?"

"What?"

"How could you make me eat that?"

"You said you wanted apple pie."

"Then why'd you give me that?" she asked, pointing an accusing finger at the slice of pie as she eyed it warily.

"That's apple pie."

"Oh, that's terrible." She gave the pie an offensive glance. "How can they make people eat that rubbish?"

"Okay, there is definitely something wrong with you," he announced, standing up.

She rolled her eyes.

"There isn't anything wrong with me, Jack."

"Yes, there is. You're acting strange. You can't eat anything."

"I can eat Jack I just have to figure out what I want yet," she replied, as if he should know that.

"That…what? That doesn't make any sense."

"I'm making perfect sense you're just not keeping up."

"That!" Jack exclaimed. "That right there is exactly what I'm talking about. Rosie, the Rosie I remember would never say that."

"I'm still her, Jack, just…different."

"And there you go again, not making any sense."

She sighed.

"You know for someone who's lived over a hundred years you really are thick."

"Wait. How do you know how old I am?" he asked.

Rosie had no idea. The last time he'd seen her they hadn't even talked about it. Instead of answering she grabbed his hand and put it on her…he tried to pull away.

"What're you doing?" he gasped.

Not that he'd usually mind, but she was acting strange and for her to put his hand on her chest…wait…he moved his hand to the other side. Then his eyes snapped to hers.

"No," he whispered.

She grinned.

"Now he's getting it," she replied.

"But…" he dropped his hand. "How?"

"Come on Jack. A human with the power of the Time Vortex in her head. It would've killed me instantly."

"But, you're a Time Lord."

"Time Lady actually and no, not fully. Half Time Lady half TARDIS."

"Wait. Half what?"

"TARDIS, yeah, 's a bit weird, but…" she shrugged, "what're you going to do?"

"Have you been like this the whole time?"

She laughed.

"Nah, the Doctor's thick, but he's not that thick. He would've sensed another of his kind. I started changing the first time I died."

"What?"

"A few changes each time I regenerated. Every time every cell in my bodied died and was reborn I'd come back with a few more changes, not sure why."

"But…no…but you look the same."

She grinned.

"Not exactly, but yeah, very close. Don't have to die my hair anymore and it came out," she picked up a strand and looked at it, "a bit honey gold. I like it though. Then there are the bits of gold in my eyes. I think I'm an inch or two taller. Oh, and there's a mole."

"A mole?"

"Yeah, you want to see?" she asked, reaching for the bottom of her shirt.

He held up his hands.

"No, no, really. I'm okay."

She shrugged.

"Suit yourself. Now, how about beans and toast?"

"Beans and toast?"

"No. Wait. I know what I need. I need…" she lifted her wrist and before he could stop her she typed in coordinates and vanished.

He stood there, dumbfounded. Rosie was a Time Lady…a completely mental Time Lady. Wait. Eighty-seven. That would make her…over a hundred, but that would mean. Her family. She must have lost them. Is that why she returned? Then she was back with chips and a container of something.

"Chips and custard," she said with a wide grin.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	2. Shopping With Jack

"You know, I've seen some pretty disgusting things in my time," Jack said, watching Rose shove what must have been the thirtieth custard covered chip in her mouth only to pick up another and do the same, "but that's just gross."

"Aw, come on," she dipped another chip and leaned toward him, "you haven't even tried one."

"No, that's okay," he said, lifting his hands.

"Jack," she whined.

"No."

She stood up and in the next moment he was backed into the corner as she held a chip inches from his face.

"Rosie!" he yelled. "Stop. That's. Just. Disgusting!"

"You'll love it," she said, grinning like a minx. "I promise!"

"Don't you have someone else to torture? Like the Doctor maybe?"

She gave him a hurt, pouty look.

"I thought you loved me."

"I do, of course I do, but…would you please just get that away from me?"

She popped the chip in her mouth with a shrug. Then she froze.

"The Doctor!" she exclaimed.

"What?" he asked, worrying over the look she wore.

"I completely forgot, but then I guess I was a bit sidetracked what with dying and all, but," she slapped Jack's arm, making him jump, "I forgot. I completely forgot." She eyed Jack as if it were his fault. "How could I forget?"

"Forgot what?" he asked, now worrying that she'd slipped her last gear.

"The Doctor, Jack! I completely forgot the Doctor."

"What are you talking about?"

"I fixed everything, stopped him, which wasn't easy. He killed me twice, but I got him the third time." She grinned and in a…well a way he hadn't seen before and made him as uncomfortable as the Doctor's Oncoming Storm face did.

"Who killed you?"

"The…" she eyed Jack, "No, best not even say his name." She glanced round the flat. "Never know who might be listening."

Jack glanced around as if someone might be lurking in one of the corners of his flat.

"Okay, well, what do you mean fixed everything?"

"The Doctor," she said, as if he ought to know what she was talking about and when he just stared at her she rolled her eyes. "His timeline. It was all…wrong. It's the first thing I noticed. Took me twelve years, but I finally got it straightened out, found out who was behind it too," that very un-Rosie grin surfaced, "He won't be bothering anyone ever again."

"Okay," Jack managed after a minute. "So, you fixed it and forgot about the Doctor?"

"Right. Have to make sure he does what he's supposed to do."

"I'm not following."

She gave him a look that was very reminiscent of the Doctor's _you just dribbled on your chin _look. He blinked and it was gone, maybe he imagined it?

"A dress, Jack," she replied in a tone that told him he definitely hadn't imagined that look. "I need a dress."

Then she took his hand, typed in coordinates and they were in an alley, mid-afternoon.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"London. Where else am I going to find a dress?"

"Right. Where else?" he repeated.

As he watched her try on dress after dress they easily fell back into their Rosie and Jack routine with him telling her she looked like a pink nightmare in one, which made her stick her tongue out at him. He whistled at another, which actually made her blush, at least, until he asked which street corner she was going to stand on, then she slapped his arm. The last time she came out, which was roughly two hours after they began, he was stunned speechless.

She wore a long, off the shoulder, light bluish-grey dress that clung to her curves. The color was perfect for her skin, making her cheeks look, well like he called her, rosy. For a moment all he could do was stare and then he stood up.

"That's definitely the one," he said.

"You think?" she asked, gazing down at the dress.

"You in that dress, who could think?" he asked.

She grinned at him and he gave her a wink.

She found a pair of shoes and purse to go with it. Then they were back at his flat. He expected her to at least stay the night, but he should've known better. This was Rosie on a mission and she never stopped until she succeeded.

She stayed long enough to shower, change into the clothes she bought, do her hair and when she walked into the kitchen almost two hours later he knew it was goodbye.

"You'll come back, won't you?" he asked.

"You just try and keep me away," she teased. "Oh." She picked up her purse and pulled out the bag she put in it. It was the bag she had with her when she arrived, not much smaller than the purse, but that's all she had inside of it, which he found strange. She opened the bag and began digging through it. That shouldn't have taken her very long what with it being a very small bag, but it took her a minute to find what she was looking for and she pulled out something that couldn't fit in there. When she met his confused glance she grinned. "Bigger on the inside." She held some sort of coral, like a sea coral. "I need you to take care of her for me."

_Her. _As in living thing. He took the coral, not sure what she was, but as soon as he touched her he felt…a sort of strange tingling.

"What is she?" he asked.

"TARDIS coral." His eyes snapped to Rosie's. _TARDIS? _"She wouldn't grow in the other universe. Diesel in a petrol engine, like the Doctor said before. I'd take care of her, but I've been moving around so long and there's only one person I trust as much as the Doctor and that's you Jack."

He met her gaze and couldn't help the overwhelming feeling of pride that filled him. He knew she trusted him, loved him, but to have her say something like that. He grinned. She smiled in return, her old Rosie smile. She was right. She was still in there, just a bit different.

"I'll take care of her and protect her."

"I know you will, Jack. 'S why I'm leaving her with you. You need to plant her in some earth, clean, no chemicals if you can manage. Take her into Torchwood, the rift's there and it'll help her grow, give her the nutrients she needs, yeah?"

Her eyes began to tear up.

"You're make-up's going to run," he teased, but he could feel his own eyes tearing up.

"Oh, shut up," she joked, pulling him into a hug. When she pulled back he was surprised to have her kiss him, nothing romantic, just a peck on the lips, but he was usually the one to initiate that sort of thing. "I love you, you immortal idiot, you know that, yeah?"

He grinned.

"I love you too, you mad Time Lady."

She laughed, then she stepped back and a moment later she was gone. He glanced at the TARDIS coral.

"Just you and me then," he said and he almost swore he could feel something at the edge of his mind, a tiny bit of happiness and it made him smile.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	3. The Time Of Angels Rewrite Part 1

So, now for the first episode that is, well, quite a lot different.

* * *

The Doctor walked around the museum examining the artifacts inside the glace cases with Amy reluctantly following.

"Wrong," he said, glancing at one glass case. "Wrong," glancing at another. "Bit right, mostly wrong." He eyed Amy. "I love museums."

"Yeah, great," Amy replied, annoyed. "Can we go to a planet now? Big space ship? Churchill's bunker? You promised me a planet next."

"Amy this isn't any old asteroid. It's the Delerium Archive, the final resting place of the headless monks. The biggest museum ever."

"You've got a time machine. What do you need museums for?"

"Wrong," he announced, pointing out one glass case in particular. He drew up closer. "Very wrong." Then passed it and eyed the next. "Ooo, one of mine." He raced to that one and pointed out another artifact in the same glass case. "Also one of mine."

"Oh. I see," Amy said, leaning on the glass case and glancing at the artifacts. "It's how you keep score."

His gaze fell on the next glass case and he paused, standing up and slowly walking toward it. He walked around it, looking at every angle, then leaned on the glass case just staring at it as he folded his hands because on that box was something…impossible.

Amy hurried over to find out what he found so interesting.

"Oh great, an old box," she sighed.

"It's from one of the old starliners. A Home Box," he explained as if she should understand how important it was.

"What's a Home Box?" she asked, knowing he was about to launch into one of his long explanations, but also knowing there was no way out except listening.

"Like a black box on a plane, except it homes. Anything happens to the ship, the Home Box flies home with all the flight data."

"So?"

"The writing, the graffiti. Old High Gallifreyan. The lost language of the Time Lords. There were days, there were many days, these words could burn stars and raise up empires, and topple gods."

"What does it say?"

"Hello, sweetie." In the next moment he had his sonic out. He eyed Amy and grinned. "Get ready to run."

He unlocked the glass case, which set off the alarms, then he grabbed the Home Box and they were running for the TARDIS.

"Why are we doing this?"

The Doctor dashed into the TARDIS with Amy following. The door closed as he raced up to the console.

"Because someone on a spaceship twelve thousand years ago is trying to attract my attention." He sat the Home Box on the console and began hooking it up to the monitor. "Let's see if we can get the security playback working."

He flipped a lever and…froze as the image of someone he never thought he'd see again appeared on the monitor. Rose.

All those emotions that he was able to distract himself from except in the quite, in the solitude, in the in-between times after one adventure and before the next, all those emotions rushed over him like a wave threatening to drown him. He stared at her and, God, she looked so beautiful, same as the day he was forced to leave her because the universe was cruel and he had no choice, but to leave the woman who saved him, the woman he loved, standing on a beach with a copy of himself.

She smiled at the camera.

"The party's over Ms. Tyler," a man that wasn't visible on the camera feed said. "Yet you're still onboard."

Hope mingled with fear as he watched her. She was back and it didn't seem as if much time had passed since the day he left her behind. He couldn't deny that he wanted to see her, to hold her more than anything in the universe, but if she was back that probably meant the universe was threatened.

Amy glanced at him, noticing the fear and…was that hope? In his eyes. He knew the woman. Who was she? And why did he look like his world was beginning and ending at the same time?

"Sorry, Alistair," Rose replied. "I needed to see what was in your vaults. Do you all know what's down there? Any of you? Because I'll tell you something. This ship won't reach its destination."

"Wait till she runs. Don't make it look like an execution."

Anger flooded through him at those words, but she merely smiled that _I know something you don't _smile that he'd seen her give enemies they faced.

"Triple seven five slash three four nine by ten zero twelve slash acorn and I could do with an air corridor," Rose said, glancing at the camera with another grin.

The Doctor quickly went to work inputting the coordinates.

"What was that?" Amy asked, gazing at the monitor. "What did she say?"

"Coordinates," the Doctor replied and then raced for the doors.

"Alistair," Rose said, drawing the man's attention. "Just one thing." Alistair raised his brow. "You may want to find something to hang on to."

Rose grabbed hold of the airlock and opened it. Alistair and his guards grabbed hold of the pipes as Rose was sucked out, backwards. The TARDIS materialized in her flight path. The door opened and he was there, holding out his hand. Rose flew through the door and they were both knocked to the floor with her on top of him.

"Doctor?" Amy asked.

"Rose?" the Doctor inquired, stunned, he knew she was there, of course he knew, she'd been on the monitor, but he hadn't really believed it until that moment. Then she did something even more surprising. She kissed him. Rose Tyler actually kissed him! And not a peck either, a full blown, romantic movie kiss. His eyes widened as his arms flailed for a moment, his mind battling two decisions, kiss her back because that's pretty much all he'd thought about since the Game Station or find out what was going on because Rose Tyler being back might very well herald the end of the universe. Finally, his hands found her shoulders and pushed her back enough to break the kiss, but keep her where she was so he could make eye contact. "What are you doing?"

Something seemed to click behind her eyes.

"Right. Sorry. Got caught up in the mo'," she jumped to her feet, grinning. "Follow that ship."

He glanced at the retreating ship. At the moment he really didn't care what was going on with it because she was there, which was brilliant, but also really not good.

"How are you here?" he asked.

She glanced at him. Yep, he wasn't going to do what she needed, but then he was probably a bit shocked. She should've expected that.

"Right then. It's a do it myself day," she said, racing over to the console so she could pilot the TARDIS.

"What are you doing?" the Doctor exclaimed, running over to the console. He knew Amy was still there and he should probably say something to her, but at the moment his mind was trying to wrap around the idea that Rose Tyler was actually there, standing there, and God she was gorgeous with that dress clinging to her and…No, no! She was also flying the TARDIS. She didn't know how to fly the TARDIS, at least, not on her own. "You can't fly the TARDIS."

"Watch me," she said with a cheeky grin that made his mind go blank for a moment.

He blinked. Was she…flirting with him? Okay, they had bantered back and forth when she traveled with him, but she seemed…different.

"They've gone into warp drive. We're losing them," she continued, racing around the console as she flipped levers and pushed buttons.

"Doctor, how come she can fly the TARDIS?" Amy asked.

"That's a good question. Rose, care to elaborate?" he inquired.

"It's not like I haven't seen you do it loads of times," she dismissed, but he wasn't having that.

"And now for the truth," he said, stepping closer.

She flipped another lever and the TARDIS began to materialize with that sound he liked so much. Then she turned around and gave him that cheeky grin, reaching out to straighten his bowtie.

"I really like the bowtie," she said, gazing into his eyes, her voice dropping a bit in a way he hadn't heard before and, although his sole purpose had been to get a straight answer from her his body betrayed him by bringing out a goofy grin. She grinned wider and leaned into him, reaching up to tangle a hand in his hair. "You've still got great hair."

Then it happened, something that never happened before…he giggled. The sound was so surprising it startled him. She was still grinning and he chanced a glance at Amy to find the girl had quirked her brow.

"Um…Right." He took her hands to pull them away from him because she was being quite distracting and this was very much not like her. "You still haven't told me how you're here."

"Does it matter?"

"Since the last time we saw each other the walls in all the universes were breaking down because all reality was threatened then I'd say yes, it definitely matters."

"The walls are fine, not even a crack. Now then," she said, taking his hands in hers and leaning into him again. "Want to have some fun?"

Her cheeky grin resurfaced and he couldn't help the flirty one that slid into place.

"What sort of fun?" he asked.

"Ooo, the best sort."

He gave her a flirty chuckle and then Amy cleared her throat.

"Is someone going to tell me why we're here?" the girl asked.

"Oh. Right," Rose said, eyes widening. "That was rude. I'm sorry." She stepped over to Amy. "I'm Rose. Rose Tyler and you must be Amy Pond or Amelia if he's sore." She gave the Doctor a teasing look, but his entire mind had stopped at her words.

Amy? How did she know who Amy was and…better yet that he called her Amelia when he was cross? That…she shouldn't know that. Amy shook Rose's offered hand, but she seemed a bit confused too.

"How do you know my name?" Amy voiced the question he was thinking.

"You travel with the Doctor. You really think people don't know your name?" Rose replied.

"But…I just started traveling with him."

He grinned, waiting to see how she was going to talk her way out of that one.

"But you'll be traveling with him for a very long time."

Wait. What?

"Rose-" he began, but she raced for the doors.

"We could stand in here talking all day, Doctor," she said, opening the door. "Or we could have an adventure. What do you want to do?"

That cheeky grin resurface.

"I'd like to find out how you got here," he replied, folding his arms across his chest.

He didn't like not knowing things and she was being evasive, trying to distract him and that worried him.

"Is that a planet out there?" Amy asked.

"Yes," Rose replied and the moment she and Amy shared a smile he knew he was sunk.

Amy turned her hopeful eyes on him.

"You promised me a planet. Five minutes?"

He sighed.

"Okay, five minutes."

"Yes!"

Then she dashed out the door. Rose made to follow, but he grabbed her wrist.

"I am going to find out what's going on," he said.

She grinned, laying a hand on his chest, which was…very distracting.

"I do hope so," she replied, her voice becoming sultry and he almost lost himself in the sound of it, "but first I have one question."

"And that would be?" he inquired, his voice coming out deeper than he intended.

"What do you know about the Weeping Angels, Doctor?" she asked.

The Weeping Angels? His heart flooded with dread and then fear.

"Amy!" he yelled, releasing her wrist as he dashed out the door.

Rose couldn't help grinning. _Yep, that got his attention. _She stepped out after him.

The Doctor reached Amy a moment later. She was fine, but she was staring at something in the distance. Smoke.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Ship crashed," he replied.

She glanced around and located Rose. The woman was standing a distance from them, also staring at the cloud of smoke as her dress billowed a bit from the wind. She was beautiful, which sent a wave of jealousy through Amy, though she knew she shouldn't feel that way. She had Rory and they were meant to be married, but the Doctor was so exciting and he made her feel special. She liked that, loved it and loved him. God, she was so confused.

"Explain," Amy said, eyeing him. "Who is that and how did she do that museum thing?"

"It's a long story and I'm not sure about the museum thing," he replied in that _I really don't want to talk about it _sort of way, but she wasn't going to let him get away with that.

"Then make it a short one."

He sighed.

"Rose traveled with me."

"Wait. You mean like I am?"

"Yes, well, no, well, yes. Sort of. I found her or maybe she found me after…" he glanced at Amy, "after something terrible happened and she…" he glanced at the woman. God, she was beautiful. Her gold hair danced around as the wind tugged at her dress, "she saved me. Saved my life once and I lost her. Twice. The first time I never thought I'd see her again and it…broke me. Then she came back, impossibly, but that's her. My impossible Rose."

"If she came back then why didn't she stay?"

"She wanted to, but something happened and…I had to leave her behind."

"What?" Amy gasped.

"Not because I wanted to," he said, glancing at her and then away as the memory took hold. "It was because of…certain circumstances…she had to stay and I had to leave."

"But…you just left and never saw her again?"

"I couldn't. She was in a parallel universe and the walls were closed. I had to leave her and I could never see her again. At least," he glanced over at the woman he loved, the woman he would always love, "I didn't think I would."

"Then, I mean, how is she here?"

"That is a very good question."

Amy was quiet for a moment, then she glanced back at the smoke.

"So, the ship, what caused it to crash?"

"Not me," Rose said, startling the girl.

"Nah," the Doctor dismissed, glancing at her. "The airlock would've sealed seconds after you blew it. According to the Home Box, the warp engines had a phase shift. No survivors."

"A phase shift," Rose mused. "I did warn them."

That drew his attention. He turned, gazing at her.

"About what?"

"The angel Doctor," she replied with a grin, reminding him of their situation.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	4. The Time Of Angels Rewrite Part 2

Rose wasn't the same as he remembered, well, she was, but she was also different. Excited and caring like he remembered, but a bit more…grown up, what with all that flirting. Not that they hadn't flirted before, but there had been a line and she crossed that line a few times already without a second thought. He didn't mind, of course, new, new, new Doctor and all, but she hadn't even hesitated.

Also, she knew him, didn't even question who he was. That made him wonder, really made him wonder. He had the strangest feeling that even though she looked as if he dropped her back in that parallel universe yesterday it had, in fact, been longer for her.

"You have a sonic?" Amy asked, drawing the Doctor out of his thoughts.

He glanced at Rose and watched her boost the power in a communicator she was holding. Her sonic was a bit like his in his last regeneration, but also a bit different, as if it'd been fiddled with.

"Yep," Rose replied, popping the 'p' and shooting him a grin.

"Doctor, where did she get a sonic?" Amy asked.

"Yes, Rose, where did you get that?" he asked.

Instead of answering she held the communicator up to her ear and took a step away. He followed, not wanting to let her out of his sight until he got some answers because he would get answers.

"You lot in orbit?" she asked into the communicator. "Yep, it's here." She glanced at the Doctor and ignored the _what the hell is going on _look he wore. "He's here too." She paused as if listening. "See you in a minute then."

She lowered the communicator and stuffed it back in a small bag she'd taken out of her purse. The bag didn't get any bigger and appeared to be too small to hold much. He immediately knew what it was.

"Bigger on the inside," he replied.

She glanced at him, another grin surfacing.

"Time Lord technology."

"And _where_ exactly did you acquire that?"

"You're just full of questions, aren't you?" she teased, but he was in no mood for her teasing.

"As a matter of fact I am."

She could tell that he wasn't entirely happy with her and she really couldn't blame him, but she had to make sure he stayed on course. Changing things put a lot of people and worlds in danger and it was her responsibility to make sure he saved them.

"I'll answer all your questions once everyone's safe, yeah?"

"No," he snapped, grabbing her arm, not forcefully, but with purpose. "You'll answer them now or Amy and I will get back in the TARDIS and leave you to deal with this on your own."

She paused. Would he really do that? Would he really leave her? Her smile slipped. She didn't want to believe that he would, but his personality was always a bit different with each regeneration, she knew about that now. Maybe she was pushing him too far.

He watched her and it wrenched his hearts to see her smile fade. It was bluff. Now that he found her he would never leave her, no matter what, but he had to try something. There were too many questions and she didn't seem to be in a hurry to provide answers.

"I've had my sonic for a long time. James," she glanced at him, realizing he wouldn't know the name, "the other you made it back in the parallel universe." At those words he realized how she must have learned Gallifreyan. Of course the other him would've taught her. "I've upgraded it since then, made some additions. The bag," she fiddled with it, "well, I picked it up in a trade with a man, I think you know him. His name's Dorian." The Doctor's eyes widened for a moment. Dorian? She knew Dorian, which meant she hadn't just arrived back in his universe. She must've been there for a while. "Now, how I got here, that's complicated and it'll take a lot more time than we have to explain. So, I'm not trying to be evasive. I'll tell you, but once everyone's safe."

He released her hand.

"Fair enough."

At that moment a cyclone of dust kicked up and four soldiers teleported near them. The one who seemed to be in charge walked over to them, his eyes on Rose.

"Commander Tyler," a man greeted, giving her a salute she returned.

"Father Octavian," she replied.

"Commander Tyler?" Amy whispered, but the Doctor shushed her.

"This is the Doctor," Rose introduced.

"Father Octavian, Sir," the man said, offering his hand in a _I can't believe I'm actually meeting you _sort of way. "Bishop, second class. Twenty cleric at my command. The troops are already in the drop ship and landing shortly. Commander Tyler was helping us with a covert investigation." He turned his attention to Rose. "So, what's the situation?"

"The Doctor and I have less than an hour to stop the radiation leak inside the crashed ship and you have less than eight hours to evacuate the colony," Rose replied.

Both the Doctor and Octavian looked at her in stunned disbelief.

"Eight hours to evacuate the colony? That's thousands of people, Commander Tyler."

"Thousands of people who are all going to die if you don't get them out of here," she insisted and for the first time the Doctor saw something in her eyes he'd never seen before, something akin to a force of nature. It both worried and intrigued him at the same time.

"Do you really think that's necessary?" Octavian asked.

"Doctor," she turned her gaze on him and that look in her eyes nearly took his breath away. "Care to explain to Father Octavian what a weeping angel is?"

"Um…Right." He shook the feeling off and eyed the Father. "A Weeping Angel is the deadliest, most powerful, most malevolent creature evolution has ever produced."

"And right now there's an entire army of them inside those caves and they're waking up."

Again she was greeted by two disbelieving stares.

"An army?" Octavian asked. "I thought you said there was only one."

"In the ship, yeah, but this was a rescue mission and inside those caves are thousands of dormant Weeping Angels."

"Patient," the Doctor corrected. She glanced at him. "There's a difference between dormant and patient and Weeping Angles are very patient."

How did she know about the army of Angels? The one on the ship he could understand, but the others?

"It's your choice, Father," she said.

"But you can stop them," Octavian replied.

"Possibly, there's every likely hood that the Doctor and I won't make it out of there alive and if that happens the Angels will come."

He couldn't help being drawn in again by that look in her eyes. Oh, she was definitely different and he couldn't help the grin that surfaced. He knew he really shouldn't like that dangerous look she wore, but he really did.

"I'll start the evacuation," Octavian said.

"Good man," the Doctor said, turning his grin on the Father.

He watched Octavian and the soldiers teleport back, but his mind was on someone else. She was right. There was a very good chance they wouldn't make it out of this. An army of Weeping Angels. Normally he'd help evacuate the colony and leave because this was more than dangerous, but she was Rose Tyler and he couldn't walk away from her when she needed help.

"Come on you two," Rose called and he turned to find her standing near the TARDIS with the door opened. "We have less than an hour."

"Ooo. Her indoors," Amy teased as they turned and walked toward the TARDIS.

The Doctor began a scan of the ship to locate the engine compartment. That's where he would need to go to stop the leak. Rose watched him. She'd changed into a black tank top that was, well, a bit revealing, a pair of tight jeans and trainers. He couldn't stop his eyes from traveling to her every few minutes. Did she know how distracting she was?

"So, what do these Weeping Angels look like?" Amy asked, feeling a bit ignored and not at all liking that feeling.

"You know those statues in parks and on buildings?" Rose inquired.

"Yeah."

"Exactly like that."

"What? They're statues?"

"They're statues when you see them," the Doctor replied.

"What's that mean, _they're statues when you see them_?"

"The Weeping Angels can only move if they're unseen," she explained.

"Sorry?" Amy asked, still not believing them.

"It's a quantum lock," the Doctor explained. "In the sight of any living creature the Angels literally cease to exist. They're just stone. The ultimate defense mechanism."

"What, being a stone?"

"Being a stone until you turn your back," Rose said.

"Then why's it here?" Amy asked. "You said it was a rescue mission. That there was an army of them. How's that work?"

"The ship crashing wasn't an accident," the Doctor said.

"It crashed the ship on purpose? Why?"

"When the ship crashed the hyper-drive would've split on impact. The whole ship's going to be flooded with Drive Burn Radiation, cracked electrons, gravity storms. Deadly to almost any living thing."

"Except an Angel," Amy deduced.

Oh, she was sharp. Rose grinned.

"Exactly. It's dinner to an Angel. The longer they're there, the stronger they'll get," she replied.

The console dinged. Both Rose and the Doctor looked at the monitor.

"Found it," he said and then input the coordinates and flipped the lever for the time rotor.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	5. The Time Of Angels Rewrite Part 3

The TARDIS materialized inside the engine room of the crashed ship. They all raced to the doors, but the Doctor stopped in front of them and turned around, eyeing Amy and Rose.

"Whoa! Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"With you," Amy said. "I'm not standing around in the TARDIS while you go out there on your own."

"You have to. The radiation will kill you."

"What about you?"

"Drive Burn Radiation's nothing to a Time Lord."

"But-"

"He's right, Amy," Rose replied, earning the girl's attention. "You won't last ten minutes out there."

Rose stepped over to the Doctor, but he made no move to open the door.

"Neither will you," he said.

"I really thought you would've figured it out by now, Doctor," she said, giving him that tongue touched smile, but he refused to let her distract him this time.

Then she surprised him by taking his hands and putting one on either side of her chest. For a moment his eyes widened and he wasn't entirely sure what to do. Then he felt it. Something impossible. A double heartbeat. His eyes glanced from her chest to her.

"What?" he gasped. She grinned. "What?" Then she took his hand, opened the door and pulled him out. "What?"

"Come on," she said, closing the door and then turning to him. "We've got less than an hour."

"No. Wait. What?" he pulled her to a stop as his mind finally blinked back into existence. "Stop!"

"We don't have time," she insisted.

"But, no, this is important."

"More important than saving everyone?" she asked, hands on hips in a trademark Tyler move, one more inclined to her mum.

"Yes…no…" he shook his head and then focused on her. "How is this even possible?" he asked, gesturing at her chest.

She rolled her eyes and he paused. Rose Tyler actually rolled her eyes at him!

"I told you I'd tell you later," she insisted.

"Tell me now," he demanded, not at all liking the way she was acting and that she wasn't telling him what he wanted to know.

"There's an army of Angels waking up and a colony of people to save, there isn't time," she said, turning to a console and bending down to begin pulling the wires out.

He wanted answers, but she was right. Of course, she was right. He turned to another console and mimicked her. A Time Lady? How could she be a Time Lady? That was impossible. She was human, or she had been when he left her at Bad Wolf Bay. He would've noticed otherwise…wouldn't he? Well, she had been with him a few hours and he hadn't noticed, but then he'd blocked that silence for so long.

He paused in his work and closed his eyes, taking a moment to unblock that quiet place and he heard it. His eyes snapped open. There weren't words or emotions because that only came with a connection, a link, but the song was there. The melody that told him he wasn't alone. It'd been too long since he heard that. Far, far too long and before he realized it a tear slid down his cheek.

He hurriedly wiped it away and focused on the work at hand. There were lives to save, as she said. After everyone was safe then they could talk. Then he would find out how this happened, how she could be what she was. Although, he had to admit that he was happy because for the first time in a very long time he didn't feel alone.

He'd had companions, company, but it wasn't the same. The feeling that melody gave him was so much more than what he got from having someone else near him.

"Thirty-seven minutes until the Angels are strong enough to move," Rose called.

"I know the time," he replied. "I am a Time Lord after all."

She laughed and he couldn't help smiling.

"You can't give me that rubbish anymore, Doctor."

He was quiet for a moment.

"I suppose not."

"So," she said after another moment. "How about we go surfing after this?"

"Surfing?"

"I hear there's a planet with five hundred foot waves."

"Me in swim trunks?"

"You'd look good in swim trunks," she replied and he caught her flirty tone.

He grinned.

"You think?"

"Oh, definitely."

At that moment Amy's scream reached them and they were both on their feet, running for the TARDIS.

"Amy?" the Doctor called. "Amy!"

Then they stopped when the TARDIS came into view. The door was open and the Angel, the one that crashed the ship, stood in the doorway.

This was bad, really not good. Why was the door open? Rose was sure she shut it. Then she realized what must have happened.

"Amy, we told you to stay in the TARDIS," she yelled as fear fought for control.

"Are you really going to yell at me when the most deadly creature evolution ever produced is standing in front of me?" Amy snapped.

"Yes, Amelia, we are," the Doctor replied in a _not very happy with you _attitude.

"I got bored," Amy said.

"So, you thought you'd get a little radiation poisoning?"

"No, I mean, I don't know. I thought that, you know, since the TARDIS could extend an air bubble, like it did before we went to that ship of London that maybe it could do the same sort of thing and keep me safe from the radiation."

"Amelia, that is…" he fumed and Rose could tell that he was too angry from the fear to form words.

"We were trying to keep you safe, Amy," she supplied.

"Doing a bang up job too," the girl replied.

Oh. Definitely not the right thing to say.

"You would've been safe if you hadn't opened the door," the Doctor yelled, flinging his arms around.

"Okay, well, I did, and now I'm not, so what do we do?"

Rose remembered what happened last time, in the Doctor's other timeline before she fixed things and fear flooded her hearts. Did Amy do what she did last time? _The universe has a balance_. The warning came back to her. The one a very old friend gave her when she needed advice about the Doctor's timeline, before she changed things.

Of course Amy looked into the creature's eyes. That's what she did before. Rose could fix it. She knew she could.

"Amy keep looking at it," the Doctor said, pulling out his sonic that she knew wouldn't do any good.

There wasn't a crack this time for the Doctor to throw the Angel into, but they didn't need one. She knew what she had to do, but she knew the Doctor would never let her do it. Oh. He was going to be upset with her, but Amy would be safe and that's all that mattered.

Rose pulled her sonic out, not because she thought it would work. She knew it wouldn't, but she couldn't let him think she had a plan. He'd want to know what it was and he had to stop the other Angels.

"Doctor, I'll stay with Amy. You need to finish stopping that radiation leak," she said.

He gazed at her a moment, but she knew, he knew it had to be done.

"There's only one here, but if the others wake up-" she continued.

"Right." That got him going. "I won't be long."

"You better not be," she replied, giving him a smile he returned before dashing back to the engine room. "Amy," she said after he disappeared, "Don't be scared."

"I'm nine…I mean not," the girl replied.

It was starting.

"Where's the Doctor?" Amy continued.

"He has to stop the radiation before the rest of them wake up, but don't worry, Amy, I'm going to help you."

"And how are you going to do that?"

Amy wasn't happy about the Doctor leaving her, but she knew what he was doing was important. Rose was there so she wasn't alone, but Rose wasn't the Doctor.

"I'm going to get rid of the Angel and then you're going to be fine," Rose said.

She knew the girl would need some sort of explanation or Amy would alert the Doctor and that would take him away from what he needed to do.

"So you're going to…what? Draw it away? Isn't that dangerous?" Amy asked.

She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about Rose, but she didn't want the other woman to put herself in danger. She knew there was something different about her, she'd seen that in the Doctor's eyes when the woman put his hands on her chest and that, for some reason, the radiation didn't bother her, but still, even the Doctor seemed afraid of the Weeping Angels.

"No, it's not that simple. You looked into the Angel's eyes."

"Yeah, so? You said they can only move when they're six…I mean seen, so I looked at it."

"When you looked into its eyes it climbed inside you."

Wait. What? Fear flooded Amy's heart. Climbed inside of her? Could they actually do that?

"What?" Amy gasped.

"You're counting down, you've been doing that for a few minutes, that's the Angel," she said.

Counting down? Now that Rose mentioned it she realized the woman was right. Oh, God! There was an Angel inside her eyes. What did that mean? Was it going to kill her?

"What…what's it going to do to me?" Amy asked.

"Nothing because I can stop it, but I need you to promise you won't scream and after…after the Angel's gone I need you to bring me inside the TARDIS, okay?"

"What do you mean, don't scream and why would I need to bring you inside?"

"Because I can help you, but…it's going to kill me."

Amy made to take a step toward her, but she didn't want to get any closer to the creature. Rose could save her, but the woman would die. That…she couldn't let Rose do that.

"What? No! Rose, there has to be another way," Amy insisted.

"There isn't. It's my fault, but I can fix it."

Her fault? Amy shoved that aside because that's not what was important at the moment. The fact that Rose would die, was willing to sacrifice herself to save Amy. That's what was important.

"But you'll die," Amy said.

"And then I'll come back."

Wait. What?

"What?" the girl asked.

"I'm not human, Amy," she said. "Not anymore. I've died before, but I'll probably be out for a few days. After I die-"

"Rose," Amy tried, still not happy with the idea and not sure if the woman was lying about coming back, people, even aliens couldn't do that…could they?

"You can't say anything to the Doctor until he's done. If he doesn't stop those Angels people will die and I can't have that, yeah?" She waited a moment, but when Amy didn't respond she continued. "Promise me."

Amy sighed.

"Fine, yeah, I promise."

"Allons-y," she said and then reached into that part of herself, the part that controlled the power of the time vortex, that dangerous, unstable part and laid her hand on the Angel's shoulder. The moment she touched the creature it began to glow as cracks appeared, fissuring throughout the stone.

Amy watched, too stunned to speak as the angel began to disintegrate, glowing brighter as it vanished. How the hell could Rose do that? And what exactly was she doing?

A moment later the Angel was gone and a pressure inside Amy's mind that she hadn't noticed suddenly lifted. Then Rose collapsed to the floor. Amy was beside the woman a moment later. She wasn't entirely sure how Rose had done it, but somehow the woman saved her life.

She pulled Rose inside and that's when she realized that the woman's skin was cooler than it should be. She couldn't help feeling for a pulse after laying Rose on the glass floor. Nothing. She was gone.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	6. Forever

"Amy!" the Doctor's panicked voice reached her and fear raced up her spine.

Would he blame her for Rose's death? Would he be angry? In the next moment he ran into the TARDIS, his eyes falling on her and then Rose. The look on his face was enough to break her heart.

The moment he noticed the Angel was gone he began to panic. They never left, not until they got what they wanted. If the Angel was gone that meant something happened, something horrible. He raced into the TARDIS calling Amy's name. Before he could call out for Rose his eyes fell on the girl who was sitting on the control room floor next to…Oh, God, no!

Rose, Rose was lying on the floor and she wasn't moving. He pulled his sonic as he ran to her.

"What happened?" he asked in a forced calm voice, the sort of voice that demanded answers.

"She…she saved me. She killed the Angel," Amy said.

The entire sentence didn't make any sense. No one could kill a Weeping Angle, but he focused on scanning Rose and then looked at the readings. No life signs. She was…but she couldn't be…His legs gave out and he fell to the glass floor beside her a choked sob escaping him.

"She said…she said an Angel was inside me," Amy continued, feeling a need to explain what happened. "That the only way to get rid of it was to get rid of the Angel. She knew it was going to kill her, but…she did it anyway. Why would she do that, Doctor?"

He heard the girl's words, understood them, but he couldn't bring himself to answer. Couldn't tear his eyes from Rose, the woman he loved, the woman who found him twice and now he would truly never see her again. A tear slid down his cheek.

She saved Amy. Of course she saved Amy. That was Rose. Always saving people. She saved him…so many times and in so many ways and he never told her, never told her that from the moment he took her hand all those years ago his hearts only beat for her.

"I tried to stop her, but she said she'd come back," Amy continued. His mind paused. "She said she'd be fine."

Come back?

"Of course!" he exclaimed, slapping his forehead and making Amy jump. At that moment the gold light that he recognized began surrounding her. He grabbed Amy and pulled the girl back. "Ha ha!" he laughed, smiling. "That's my Rose."

"What's happening?" Amy asked, fearfully.

"She's regenerating. Good old regeneration."

"Regenerating?"

"It's a Time Lord thing."

"Wait, but…she's like you?"

"Yes…sort of, not sure about the Angel. She shouldn't be able to do that, but I'll worry about that later."

"So, she's going to be okay?"

"Better than okay. She's going to be fantastic!"

He had to admit that he was a bit sad to see her change. For her to look different, which was strange, he usually didn't mind, but she'd always looked the same. She'd be alive though, she'd still be Rose.

The light surrounded her, growing brighter, but when she changed…she didn't really change. Her new face was the same face and a moment later she opened her eyes and sat up as the light receded.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, standing up. "I'm on the TARDIS." Her eyes fell on him and he couldn't help the grin that fell into place. "You're TARDIS, well, our TARDIS. Do you mind if I call her our TARDIS?"

"Don't mind at all," he replied, releasing Amy to step closer to Rose.

"I really like the desktop theme, did I tell you that?" She grinned then paused. "A dartboard."

"Sorry?" he asked, not sure what she meant.

"We really need a dartboard. We could put it there," she pointed out a spot. Then she spun around gazing around the control room. "I love this room, did I tell you that?"

"Yes, you just did."

He grinned.

"Is that what happens then?" Amy asked, drawing both their attention. "You die and come back completely mental?"

"Amy!" Rose exclaimed running toward the, now startled, girl. Then she flung her arms around Amy and hugged her. "You're all right!"

"Um…yeah, I'm fine."

"You're better than fine. You're brilliant! Don't you think she's brilliant, Doctor?" Rose asked, glancing at the Doctor.

"I've always thought Amy was brilliant, but I think you ought to come with me." Then he took Rose's hand before her attention fell on something else.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he led her to the corridor. "Ooo, are we going to go swimming? You've still got the pool yeah?"

"No…I mean, yes, there's a pool. It was in the library, not sure where it's got to, but no we're not going for a swim."

"Awww, you could get your trunks." She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked. "I really would like to see you in trunks."

His flirty grin surfaced and then he shook his head to clear it.

"No, no swimming. I'm taking you to bed."

She gave him that cheeky grin.

"Ooo, bed," she replied in that sultry tone as she ran her hand under his jacket, making him nearly trip over his own feet.

"No, yes, no, Rose! Stop that!"

She grinned wider.

"But I don't want to."

They reached her door and he removed her hands from him.

"You just regenerated, you need to rest."

Her lips drew into a pout.

"I don't want to rest. I want to do something fun," she drew up closer, making him flail for a moment until he got hold of her roving hands again.

"Rest first then fun," he insisted.

"But I'm not…" and then she swayed.

He caught her.

"See, this is what I mean. You're not done yet." He opened the door and led her inside. "You need to rest."

"I never needed to rest before," she protested and then coughed as a bit of gold dust escaped her. "That's new."

"Before?" he asked, sitting her on the side of the bed and bending down to remove her trainers.

"This is the fourth time, no fifth time I died. I almost forgot about yesterday."

He caught her gaze in surprise.

"You died yesterday?"

"Well, ten or eleven hours ago, depending on how long I was out this time."

He gave her a disproving look.

"Dying that close together is dangerous, Rose! You can't do that!"

"What would you've had me do? Let Amy die?"

He sighed, removing her other trainer.

"No, but…" he sat her shoe on the floor and then caught her gaze. "You have to be more careful."

She smiled, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.

"I'm fine."

His eyes searched hers.

"I thought I lost you. I can't lose you again."

She reached out with her other hand and brushed his hair away from his forehead.

"I promised you forever, yeah? And this time I intend to give it to you, whether you like it or not," she teased.

He wanted to kiss her. God, he wanted to kiss her more than anything, but she was still regenerating, still finishing up. So, he tucked her into bed, kissed her forehead, and turned off the light on his way out.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant reader!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	7. Dreams

It was a trap! Rose should've known it was trap. Why hadn't seen it? Because she was naive. Because she wanted to believe in the peace treaty they offered. Now, at least half of her team was dead and she was running. Running through a forest with no idea if anyone got her message, if anyone was coming.

She heard it, the blast of a laser. Then she felt the burning pain sear her back and she was falling. Falling to the ground. Her last thought was of James, her best friend, and the fact that he would be alone.

"I'm sorry," she whispered and then the darkness claimed her.

* * *

She opened her eyes, sitting up quickly. She heard someone jump and glanced toward the noise. A man with a startled expression stood near her. He was wearing a lab coat and glasses.

"Hello," she said, then gazed around. "Torchwood. Lab Four. Why am I in Lab Four?"

"I…um…" he stammered.

She swung her legs off the…exam table and then stood up. That's when she realized she was naked. Her sudden movements must have frightened him because he ran out the door in the next moment.

She shrugged.

"He's weird. All right," she glanced around. "Probably ought to find something to-"

At that moment the door opened and James rushed into the room and then stopped.

"James!" she exclaimed, crossing the room toward him, grinning.

"He said…when he said…he said you were alive," he stammered, pointing in different directions. "I just couldn't…and you are…and…"

She pulled him into a hug.

"Of course I'm alive, you lump, what else would I be?"

"Rose. Rose! Stop! Rose!" he yelled, trying to wriggle out of her embrace.

She pulled back and realized his face was bright red.

She laughed.

"You all right?"

"You're um…there's um…I can see your…" he stammered.

She looked down.

"Right. Naked. I think someone took off with my clothes," she teased and then giggled.

"Yes. Right. Here."

He hastily removed his long coat and handed it to her. Then quickly turned around.

"You don't like me naked?" she teased.

"What?" he exclaimed, turning back, blushing and then averting his gaze again because she wasn't quite in the coat. "Are you finished?"

"Yes."

He turned around and she was wearing the coat, but the front was open and his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Rose!" he yelled.

"What?" she asked, but she was grinning.

He averted his gaze and walked toward her then buttoned up the coat.

"There."

She rolled her eyes.

"You're no fun," she pouted.

That was the first time she regenerated and a week later they began working on a dimension cannon.

* * *

"You realize this is dangerous," Rose said as they worked on the dimension cannon.

They were a year into building it. Not like the other one, more complicated, more technical, and far more powerful.

"That's what the stabilizer is for," James replied.

"I know, but there's still a chance-"

"There's always a chance," he cut her off and then paused, gazing into her eyes. "I would've, well, the other me would've never left you here if he'd, we'd, known."

She smiled, reassuringly. He felt guilty, had since the first time she regenerated. It happened again a few months ago when she ran into a nasty batch of aliens. They intended to kill James, but she stepped between them.

"I know, yeah? It's not your fault or his. I don't blame either of you and 's fine, more than fine. I feel brilliant!"

"But you're changing. Each time you regenerate it changes your DNA. That's why you need him. He can help you. I can't."

She took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"You're helping me now, yeah? And you're both the same. I know that now. I understand."

Then she did something she hadn't done since that day on the beach. She kissed him because she knew who he was. He was the Doctor. He might be human, but they were the same man and she loved him, both of them.

* * *

The Doctor, because that's who he was to her now, tightened the last bolt and stepped back, grinning. Two years later they were nearly finished building the device.

"It's done," he exclaimed, glancing at her and she watched his grin almost slip.

"Brilliant!" she beamed.

"I knew we could do it."

She smiled at him.

"Together. We always could do anything together."

"No matter what the universe threw at us." He replaced the tool and then rubbed his neck before turning back around. "You should probably wait till this weekend. Jackie'll kill me if you don't say goodbye."

She crossed the room then and pulled him into a hug. He buried his face in her shoulder and a moment later she could feel his tears.

"I'm not going anywhere, Doctor," she said.

He pulled back and that was the first time she saw him cry.

"You have to. You need-"

She made her decision a year ago, when she realized they were the same man. She made him a promise and she intended to fulfill it.

"I have everything I need right here," she interrupted, wiping the tears from his cheeks.

"But the Doctor-"

She caught his gaze.

"You are the Doctor."

"No, but I mean-" he stammered and she caught the bit of hope in his dark brown eyes.

"I know what you mean, yeah? He'll still be there later, but you won't."

For a moment all he did was gaze into her eyes and in his she could see so much love, all the love he had for her. She smiled.

"Rose…" his voice broke.

"I told you I was never going to leave you," she said.

"But…but I age. I'll grow old. I'll die."

"And I'll be there, yeah?"

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close.

"Rose Tyler, you are the most beautiful, wonderful, strongest woman I have ever known," he whispered into her neck.

"And don't you ever forget it," she teased.

* * *

She knelt down in the grass. It was almost unnaturally green. She held three pots of flowers. Lilies for her mum, she sat them on the grave. Tulips for her father. And Roses for the Doctor.

Her dad passed first. Car accident, seventeen years after Tony was born. She couldn't help feeling the irony. Losing her dad to a car twice in one lifetime. Her mum lived to the age of eighty-eight, passing in her sleep. The Doctor was last. Dying peacefully in their home. She held his hand and whispered words of love. She knew he was happy and that was all she wanted.

They had a life, not an ordinary life, but nothing was ever ordinary when it came to Rose Tyler and the Doctor, human or not. They married and worked for Torchwood and they ran. When he slowed down so did she, sticking around the flat more, ignoring his protests and eventually he stopped, muttering about stubborn Tyler women.

Now he was gone. Tony was still there, but it had never been her family holding her there. It'd always been him. She smiled, telling him one last time how much she loved him then she stood up.

This life was over, she would always remember it, always love all of them, but her next life was waiting in another universe. She turned from the graves and walked away.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


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